This joint study by CFI and the Brennan Center for Justice offers powerful evidence that New York City's public financing system has contributed to a much higher level of small donor participation from lower income and higher minority neighborhoods than the ones for donors to candidates in state elections. New York State is considering a system of public campaign financing for state elections similar to New York City’s small donor matching fund program, based in part on the assumption that it would bring greater fairness and diversity to state elections. The results of this new study support that claim. The study shows that small donors to 2009 City Council candidates came from a much broader array of city neighborhoods than the city’s small donors to 2010 State Assembly candidates.